Data transmitting and receiving method between a mobile terminal and an information center in a navigation system

ABSTRACT

A data transmitting and receiving method between a mobile terminal and an information center in a navigation system is disclosed. The present invention is characterized in that if lower items of a destination are not received from the information center in the middle of receiving destination setting items to set the destination after the mobile terminal transmits a destination setting request message to the information center, the mobile terminal sends a reconnection request message and stored destination setting data.

PRIORITY

This application is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.10/300,475, filed Nov. 20, 2002, which claims priority to an applicationentitled “Data transmitting and receiving method between a mobileterminal and an information center in a navigation system” filed in theKorean Industrial Property Office on Jun. 29, 2002 and assigned SerialNo. 02-37479, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by referenceherein.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to a navigation system, and inparticular, to a data transmitting and receiving method between a mobileterminal and an information center.

2. Description of the Related Art

Typically, a navigation system displays a calculated current location ofa mobile body using received information from a Global PositioningSystem (GPS) which is displayed in a map on a screen. Also, thenavigation system provides salient driving information including movingdirection of the mobile body, distance to a destination, current movingvelocity of the mobile body, a path preset by the driver before driving,or an optimal path to the destination, etc. The navigation system or GPSis mounted on the mobile body including a boat, an airplane, anautomobile, etc., to be used to determine current location and movingvelocity of the mobile body or decide a driving path.

Recently, a navigation system has been developed for providing anavigation function via mobile terminals. FIG. 1 shows an outlinedconfiguration of the navigation system.

Referring to FIG. 1, the navigation system comprises an informationcenter 100, a wireless network 200, a mobile terminal 300 and anIntelligent Transport Systems (ITS) terminal 400. The information center100 stores map data and real-time traffic information. When the mobileterminal 300 requests the navigation function , the information center100 generates corresponding navigation information comprising map dataand real-time traffic information and provides it to the mobile terminal300 via the wireless network 200. The wireless network 200 is a path forinformation transfer between the information center 100 and the mobileterminal 300. The mobile terminal 300 operates not only in a typicalmode for providing voice call service to a user, but it also operates ina navigation mode support for the navigation function. In the navigationmode, the mobile terminal 300 is connected to the wireless network 200,receives every kind of navigation information available and providesthem to the user by interacting with the ITS terminal 400.

In the navigation mode, the user may request guidance of optimal drivingpath to the information center 100 by transmitting current location ofhis car and destination via his mobile terminal 300. Accordingly, theuser can be guided to the optimal driving path between the currentlocation and the destination, a typical navigation function, by theinformation center 100. In the navigation mode, the user can alsoconnect to the information center 100 via the mobile terminal 300 andsearch neighboring facilities, for example, gas stations, rest areas,repair shops, hospitals/drug stores, lodging houses, sight spots,restaurants/cafes, and theaters/stages, etc.

The navigation system is mounted on the mobile body such as a car, etc.,as a separate device, to provide convenient functions such as drivingpath to a driver. For this, the mobile terminal 300 is connected to theinformation center 100, sets a desired destination and receives pathguiding data generated by the information center 100 via the wirelessnetwork 200.

However, there occur cases of disconnection in the middle of setting thedestination or receiving the path guiding data due to the limit of datacommunication through the wireless network 200. For example, duringpassing a tunnel or due to problems in the wireless network 200transmission/disconnect problems may occur. In those cases, the mobileterminal 300 must subsequently re-transmit the destination and downloadthe path guiding data.

In the related art, as described above, there is inconvenience ofre-transmission and down loading navigation information when the mobileterminal 300 is disconnected from the information center 100 in themiddle of setting destination or receiving the path guiding data. Thereis an additional problem of increase of communication costs for the userdue to re-downloading the same data. While reconnecting to theinformation center 100, the car may also have altered its course in theinterim. Then the current location of the car becomes changed.Therefore, the user must download other guiding data for the changedpath from the changed current location to the destination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a datatransmitting and receiving method between a mobile terminal and aninformation center.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method formaking the mobile terminal re-connect with the information center againautomatically if the mobile terminal is disconnected from theinformation center while destination setting or reception of the pathguiding data is performed in the navigation system

To achieve the above object, there is provided a method for transmittingand receiving data during the setting of a destination between aninformation center for providing navigation information to a mobileterminal connected with the information center via a wireless network ina navigation system. The method comprises the steps of: Transmitting, atthe mobile terminal, a destination setting request message to theinformation center, Destination setting items are transmitted from theinformation center to the mobile terminal, when the destination settingrequest message is received, the destination setting items are receivedand displayed at the mobile terminal, and selected destination settingdata is transmitted to the information center if a destination isselected among the destination setting items by a user. The selecteddestination setting data is stored at the mobile terminal, sub-items ofa destination setting item to which the destination setting data belongare sequentially transmitted by the information center, if thedestination setting data are received. A reconnection request messageand the stored destination setting data is transmitted by the mobilestation to the information center, if the sub-items are not received.The reconnection request message and the stored destination setting datais transmitted to the information center, and the next sub-items afterthe destination setting item to which the destination setting databelong are then transmitted from the information center. The sub-itemstransmitted from the information center are received at the mobileterminal, which checks, if the sub-items are final destination settingones and returns to the receiving and displaying step, if not.

In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a methodfor transmitting and receiving path guiding data of a mobile terminal ina navigation system. An information center provides navigationinformation and the mobile terminal connects with the information centervia a wireless network. Information is stored on received data ifconnection is cut off during reception of the path guiding data. Areconnection request message and a message corresponding to size of thereceived data is transmitted to the information center. The rest of thepath guiding data is transmitted from the information center when thereconnect request and size of the received data is received.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more apparent from the following detaileddescription when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings inwhich:

FIG. 1 shows configuration of a general navigation system;

FIG. 2 shows configuration of a mobile terminal to which the presentinvention is applied;

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing data transmitting and receiving processbetween the mobile terminal and the information center according to anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for signals between the mobile terminal and theinformation center in the middle of setting a destination according toan embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow chart for signals between the mobile terminal and theinformation center in the middle of receiving path guiding dataaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 6 shows pictures displayed according to an embodiment of thepresent invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the followingdescription, well-known functions or constructions are not described indetail since they would obscure the invention in unnecessary detail.

FIG. 2 shows configuration of a mobile terminal to which the presentinvention is applied.

Referring to FIG. 2, the mobile terminal 300 comprises an antenna (ATN),a controller 200, a transmitting and receiving portion 210, a memory220, a key input portion 230, a display 240, a voice processor 250, amicrophone (MIC) and speaker (SPK). The ATN is to transmit atransmission signal output from the transmitting and receiving portion210 to the information center 100 via a wireless network and to receivea signal from the information center 100 via the wireless network. Thecontroller 200 performs general operations of the mobile terminal 300.In particular, according to the present invention, the controller 200controls operations for reconnection automatically, when the mobileterminal 300 is disconnected from the information center 100 duringtransmitting and receiving navigation data. Navigation data transmittedand received between the mobile terminal 300 and the information center100 in the navigation system includes data necessary for setting thedestination and the path or route guiding data, etc.

The transmitting and receiving portion 210 outputs/receives signalsto/from the information center 100 via the ANT. The memory 200 storesdata processed by a navigation program and its operations according toan embodiment of the present invention. In particular, the memory 200stores the most recent destination-related information until it receivesinformation on sub-items of the destination from the information center100 when selecting an item of destination setting.

The key input portion 230 is to interface between the mobile terminal300 and a user. Through the key input portion 230 can the user set anavigation mode and request each kind of navigation informationaccording to navigation services provided. The displaying portion 240displays items related to operation processes according to an embodimentof the present invention. For example, display items may be as shown inFIG. 6 a to FIG. 6 e.

The voice processor 250 processes voice signals input from the MIC andto be output to the SPK. The MIC inputs the voice of the user,transforms the input voice to electric signals and outputs them. The SPKtransforms the electric signals to speech audio for output to the user.It should be noted that the operations as described above according tothe embodiment of the present invention are performed within the mobileterminal 300.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart showing data transmitting and receiving processesbetween the mobile terminal and the information center according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIGS. 4 and 5 are flow charts for signals between the mobile terminaland the information center in the process of setting a destination andreceiving path guiding data according to embodiments of the presentinvention, respectively.

In the present invention, the mobile terminal 300 sends a message forrequesting destination setting items to the information center when arequest for destination setting is input via a user interface. If themobile terminal receives the destination setting items from theinformation center and selects a destination using the destinationsetting items, it sends the destination in the form of destinationsetting data to the information center 100 and stores the destinationsetting data to the memory 220. After setting the final destination, thedestination-setting data is sent to the information center 100 and themobile terminal 300 subsequently receives path guiding data from theinformation center 100. If the mobile terminal 100 is disconnected fromthe information center during setting the destination and receiving thepath guiding data, it sends a message for requesting reconnection to theinformation center 100.

In addition, when the information center 100 receives the message forrequesting destination setting items from the mobile terminal 300, itsends sub-items of destination setting data to the mobile terminal 300.It also generates the path guiding data necessary for guiding the pathto the finally requested destination and sends them to the mobileterminal 100. When the connection is cut off during sending the pathguiding data and the information center 100 receives a reconnectionrequest message from the mobile terminal 300, it restarts communicationand resends items previously requested by the mobile terminal 300.Therefore, when the connection is cut off it is not necessary for themobile terminal to transmit items of the destination setting or the pathguiding data for the finally requested destination from the beginning.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, reconnecting process is described when theconnection is cut off during setting the destination. The controller 200checks if the destination setting is requested. If so, it sendsdestination setting request message to the information center 100 instep 500. In step 502, the information center 100 sends sub-items forthe destination setting request to the mobile terminal 300. Here, thesub-items are the items for setting the destination in the next stepafter selecting the destination setting.

Generally, a method for limiting the area from a larger one to anarrower one is used for setting the destination using sub-items ofinformation. For example, in order to search a place of “SamsungElectronics Co., Maetan-dong, Paldal-gu, Suwon city, Gyunggi-do”, it isset from the sub-item of the destination setting, “Gyunnggi-do”province, corresponding to the largest geographic area including thedestination to the sub-item destination for the narrow area of theactual destination of “Samsung Electronics Co.”. Accordingly, 5destination settings are input for the final destination setting.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6 a, the largest area includingGyunggi-do, Seoul or Gyungsangnam-do is set first for the destination.The controller 200 of the mobile terminal 300, which has received this,displays the received sub-items on the displaying portion 240. In step40, when the user selects a destination among the sub-items displayedvia the user interface, the controller 200 stores the selecteddestination setting information to an internal memory 220. Hereinafter,the destination setting information is also called the destinationsetting data. That is, the destination setting data are the onescorresponding to a destination selected among the destination settingitems via the user interface.

The mobile terminal 300 thus inputs selection of the destination amongthe lower items received in the step 502 via the user interface, andthen transmits the destination setting information to the informationcenter 100 in step 504.

In step 41, it is checked if additional sub-items of the destination arereceived. If so, the controller displays the sub-items of thedestination in step 43. In the step 44, the controller 200 checks if thesub-items of the destination received in the step 500 are the ones forsetting the final destination. If they are not, the controller 200proceeds back to the step 40 and performs the destination settingprocess continuously.

If the lower items are not received in the step 41, the controller 200proceeds to step 42 to decide that the connection is cut off, as alsoshown in step 506 of FIG. 4. Then the controller 200 sends a message forrequesting reconnection and the latest destination setting informationstored to the information center 100. This is the same as step 508 inFIG. 4.

Having received the reconnection request message and the latestdestination setting information, the information center 100 sends thesub-items, destination setting items which are necessary for the nextstep after the latest destination setting step, to the mobile terminal300 in the step 510. In the process of the above search “SamsungElectronics Co., Maetan-dong Paldal-gu Suwon city, Gyunggi-do”, when theconnection is cut off in the middle of selecting “Gyunggi-do” totransmit it to the information center 100 due to the limits of datatransmission, the mobile terminal 300 stores “Gyunggi-do”, the last setdestination setting data until the connection is cut off in the step504. Then the mobile terminal 300 transmits reconnection request messageand the last set destination data, “Gyunggi-do” to the informationcenter 100 in step 508. The information center 100 receives those andtransmits the next items for the sub-items in the step 510. As shown inFIG. 6 b, the user can set a destination among “Suwon city” and “Sungnamcity”, etc., the next items of “Gyunggi-do”.

Next, a process of reconnection is described with references to FIGS. 3and 5, when the connection is cut off in the middle of receiving thepath guiding data to the set destination.

In step 43, the controller 200 displays the received destination settingitems and proceeds to step 44. In step 44, it checks if the receiveddestination items are the final destination setting ones. If so, itproceeds to step 45. Otherwise, it proceeds back to step 40 and performsthe destination setting process.

In the step 45, the controller 200 transmits the final set ofdestination information and current location data to the informationcenter 100. This is the same as the step 600 in FIG. 5. The informationcenter 100 receives the destination information and transmits the pathguiding data to the mobile terminal 300. The controller 200 displays apicture like FIG. 6 c while the path guiding data is being generated.

The controller 200 downloads path guiding data from information center100 in the step 46. In step 47, the controller 200 checks if receptionof the path guiding data is completed. If so, the controller 200proceeds to step 48 and outputs the path through display or voice.Otherwise, the controller 200 proceeds step 49 and checks if theconnection is cut off. The cut-off of the connection is decided bychecking if data are not received for a predetermined time. If theconnection is cut off during reception of the path guiding data as step604, the controller 200 proceeds to step 50 and stores the previouslyreceived path guiding data. This is the same as step 606 in FIG. 5. Byperforming the above, it can be known that the received data informationis not perfect. The controller 200 then proceeds to step 51 andtransmits the reconnection request message and an indication of theamount of the path guide received and stored in the step 50 to theinformation center 100. While requesting the reconnection, thecontroller 200 of the mobile terminal 300 displays a picture indicatingreconnection is in progress, as shown in FIG. 6 d. This is the same asstep 608 in FIG. 5. Having received the reconnection request message andwhat path guide data was previously received, the information center 100transmits rest of the path guiding data which are the next onespreviously transmitted. The mobile terminal 300 receives the rest of thepath guiding data. When the reception is completed, it displays a pathguiding message as shown in FIG. 6 e or starts to guide through voice.

As describe above, when the mobile terminal is disconnected from theinformation center in the middle of setting the destination or receivingthe path guiding data, the present invention reconnects themautomatically and makes the data be processed continuously. Accordingly,it has advantage of not performing the destination setting or thereception of the path guiding data again from the start. It hasadditional advantage of reducing wireless communication costs.

While the invention has been shown and described with reference to acertain preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood by thoseskilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be madetherein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

1. A method for transmitting and receiving path guiding data of a mobileterminal in a navigation system, which comprises an information centerfor providing navigation information and the mobile terminal connectedwith the information center via a wireless network, the methodcomprising the steps of: (a) storing information on received data if theconnection is disconnected during reception of the path guiding data;(b) transmitting a reconnection request message and a messagecorresponding to size of the received data to the information center;and (c) receiving the rest of the path guiding data transmitted from theinformation center.
 2. The method according to claim 1, the step (a)comprising the steps of: transmitting the last set destinationinformation and current location information to the information center;receiving the destination information and the path guiding datacorresponding to the current location information from the informationcenter; and checking if the connection is disconnected before receptionof the path guiding data is completed and storing the path guiding datareceived prior to disconnection to an internal memory.